By Christopher Smith, Motor1.com
The continuing march of the SUV
brigade has already led to more automotive casualties than we care to
count. The high-riding, do-all vehicles are even having an effect at
niche automakers like Aston Martin, where we learn through a report from Motoring.com.au that the low-slung four-door Rapide will leave the building once the DBX and Lagonda arrive.
The Rapide's Replacements:
In that report, Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer is quoted at length
about the future of the British brand, specifically with regards to the
forthcoming DBX. When it debuts later this year, it will become Aston
Martin’s first SUV and expectations are high. However, Palmer explains
that production for the DBX will be kept in-check at no more than 5,000
units, no matter how much demand there is for more. Maintaining some
exclusivity is part of that, but being a new “volume” model for Aston
Martin, there’s also a desire to make sure it’s built right.
There’s also the Lagonda, which only recently debuted as a snazzy
crossover concept. It’s expected to enter the market in 2023, at which
point Palmer says production for both large people movers will be capped
to 7,000 all total – 4,000 for the DBX, 3,000 for the Lagonda. With two
vehicles in the lineup better able to transport more than four people,
suddenly the Rapide with its tighter accommodations and cargo capability
simply doesn’t make sense.
Admittedly, the Rapide has endured for nearly a decade without much change, so the suave four-seater is a bit dated. As for the all-electric Rapide E that
recently launched, an electrically-driven Lagonda will take its place
while the DBX displaces the standard V12-powered model.
Whether
either replacements drive as well as the super sedan remains to be seen,
but we’ll certainly pour one out when the last Rapide leaves the
factory.
